What Goes in the Bag: Hardtack

[Paul Elliott]

It’s the start of the re-enactment season, and I’m making lists again. I always make lists. What I tend to do is start writing up a list of what a legionary needs for 2-3 days away. But then I look at my sling moulds and lead bullets (“I can talk about those”, chuck them in), I spot my lead curse tablets, my portable altar, my strigil, my pair of wax tablets (“I can talk about all those”, chuck them in, too), until my satchel is bursting with a soldier’s impedimentia and more. Its one third tool kit, one third personal neccessitiy, one third booty from a Roman house ...

Well this year I’ve decided to split my kit into: a) strictly soldiers’ marching and survival gear for 3 days, and b) other Roman kit from the barracks that I will carry along in a sack or basket. But I want to be ruthless about what goes in that bag.

Firstly, in my mind, it has to be food. I’ve read threads here and there, articles and books, and I’m not convinced food goes in a ‘net’. I’m putting buccelatum in a leather waterproof bag – my satchel. I need three days worth.

How much is that??

Folks from Alaska should know Sailor Boy Pilot bread well, this is modern-day hard-tack sold in supermarkets, and sold as coffee-mug diameter thin crackers.



Each is a 24g cracker with a stated calorific value of 100 calories. The ingredients are simply fat, salt and flour, familiar to every legionary. Assuming 3000 calories required per day for camping/patrolling/standing watch, and assuming I have no other foods, I’d need to pack 90 Pilot Bread crackers.



As you can see, my hardtack is a bit bigger, averaging 35g a piece (works out at 146 calories), so I’d need 60 home-made pieces of hardtack. Looking at my little pile of 9, I’m not sure I can fit 60 into my bag, even if it was empty...

So I’ve got a problem.....